The present invention relates generally to mounts for image capture devices, such as cameras or the like and, more particularly, to an improved mounting assembly for supporting a camera, such as a movie or video camera, from a structure or other object such as a weapon.
The sport of target shooting has become very popular in recent years. This sport has taken several forms and includes the use of rifles, hand guns, air guns or the like. In the sport of hunting, it is often desirable to record the shoot on film such as through the use of a movie or video camera. Obtaining such a record of the hunt allows the hunter to later review his or her shots and receive valuable feedback particularly when the selected target is missed. Additionally, after group hunts, reviewing the film with the other members of the hunting party is entertaining and builds camaraderie by allowing the hunters to discuss both the big kills and the “one that got away.” Further, the hunter can use the video camera zoom set at his personal preference in yards to his targets (e.g. 50, 100, or 150) so that the hunter can see the outcome of the shoots just taken.
Camera mounts that attach to the side of a rifle or other firearms are known. While accuracy and precision are extremely important to target shooters, such considerations are also important to other applications including, but not limited to, hunting and military. However, the weight of the video camera may affect the rifle's balance, trigger pull and trajectory and, due to its weight, the camera should be removed from the rifle when it is not in use. The weight of the video camera can also prevent the hunter from instant response to the motion of targeting animals. Some known camera mounts for a rifle allows the video camera to be removably attached to the rifle.
Specific examples in the prior art illustrate these deficiencies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,697, issued to Potts, discloses a mount for attachment to the structure, a camera support, and a pair of depending swing arms extending between the mount and the camera support and forming a parallelogram linkage, whereby at least one swing arm allows the camera support to swing to and fro while keeping a line of sight of the camera substantially parallel to the mount at all times.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,614, issued to Cliburn, discloses camera mounting systems for a firearm, such as a rifle, that incorporates a shock-absorbing mechanism to protect the camera from a “recoil” of the firearm. The systems comprise a pair of opposing mounting brackets, one for each side of the firearm, to be secured thereagainst by plural fastening members overriding and underriding the firearm. A first mounting bracket, on a face opposite to the firearm, includes a horizontally-movable shock-absorbing mechanism wherein the mechanism is intended to react to and absorb the recoil action of the firearm. A third, essentially planar plate, is secured to the shock-absorbing element and a rear end thereof mounts a laterally extending pivotal rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,375, issued to Watson, teaches a camera mount for firearms. The mount includes a base plate, an intermediate plate operatively attached to the base plate, a dampening material operatively attached between the base plate and the intermediate plate for dampening recoil forces transmitted to the intermediate plate, and a mounting bracket removably attached to the intermediate plate. The mounting bracket includes a camera attachment device for allowing attachment of a camera to the mounting bracket and an adjustment mechanism is provided that is operatively connected between the intermediate plate and the mounting bracket for allowing the camera to be aligned with respect to the firearm. The camera mount further includes a firearm mounting device, operatively attached to the base plate, for mounting the camera mount to the firearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,621, issued to Black, relates to a video camera having a gunstock and a support structure that includes a mounting platform adapted to receive thereon a hand-held video camera having a lens structure defining a line of sight, a recording medium for recording video information, and a viewfinder and mounting structure for mounting the viewfinder onto the gunstock. Structure is provided for effecting a sequential activating and deactivating of the video camera recording device for the purpose of starting a recording of video information onto the recording medium and stopping the recording, respectively. A gun sight is located in the line of sight so as to be visible through the viewfinder when the video camera recorder is recording video information on the recording medium. A trigger is provided on the gunstock and is adapted to be manually activated by a finger of a user's hand. A signal generator is also provided which generates a signal visible through the viewfinder in response to the user activating the trigger. The signal is also simultaneously recorded on the recording medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,262, issued to Pena, discloses a camera mount for use on a telescope in combination with a rifle. The mount is clamped onto the telescope and has a camera attached to the top of the mount. A cable mechanism is attached at one end to the shutter release of the camera and at the other end to the trigger of the rifle. The camera is arranged to photograph the image received through the telescope and reflected through the mount. The cable mechanism provides means for controlling the operation of the camera. A housing is clamped onto the telescope and has an eyepiece that fits onto the eyepiece of the telescope and contains a split prism that is positioned in the eyepiece at an angle such that it can be seen through for viewing the image of the target received through the telescope. The split prism has a reflective surface on one side that reflects the image of the target upwardly to a first surface mirror positioned in the housing above the split prism at an angle such that it receives the image reflected from the split prism, and then reflects the image forwardly to a second surface mirror. A second surface mirror is positioned at the forward end of the housing and at an angle such that it receives the image reflected from the first surface mirror, and then reflects the image upwardly to the camera lens. The image of the target is photographed when the trigger of the rifle is pulled.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,095, issued to Buckley, teaches a camera mounting device for mounting a camera to a hunting rifle. The device includes a first mounting bracket adapted to support a camera, a threaded fastener to detachably secure a camera to the first bracket, a variable diameter clamp to clamp the first mounting bracket to the barrel of the telescope sight of a rifle, a cable release for remote actuation of the camera, a second mounting bracket connected to the cable release, and threaded fasteners for detachably securing the second mounting bracket to the trigger guard of a rifle so that actuation of the cable release is coordinated to actuation of the rifle trigger.
Some known video camera mounts are attached to the side of the gun barrel or one side of the scope-mounting bracket. How a video camera is attached to the firearm can have an significant impact on the firearm's accuracy. Attachment of the camera to the side of the firearm is one significant source of firearm inaccuracy due to the resultant weight imbalance. Mechanical sights have limited value in many situations where an officer must quickly draw his gun, perhaps while moving, and fire at a close target without sufficient time to properly obtain a sight picture. Under these circumstances, instinctive aiming, that is, not using the sights but rather “feeling” where the gun barrel is pointing using the positioning of the hand holding the gun, is the preferred method. Many hunters and marksmen rely on their inner sense of balance to ensure that the firearm is not tilted. This attitude presupposes that the shooter has a fully functional, unimpaired sense of balance and that this sense of balance can somehow be translated over into the handling of the firearm. One's sense of balance is likewise subject to a number of disorienting influences including rifle recoil, the loud noises associated with shooting, repeated focusing on distant targets as viewed through one eye, and prolonged periods of standing. Weight imbalance can also be a disorienting influence. In addition, hunters may spend hours of hiking through rough and uneven terrain before firing a shot. The hunter's sense of balance can be confused under such circumstances. Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved video camera mount for firearms with greater stability in supporting the camera.
Moreover, the tip of the rifle barrel makes the video pictures more realistic and interesting. However, known mounts do not allow the tip of the rifle barrel to be visible through the video camera attached to the mount. Moreover, some known video camera mounts that attach to the top of the scope mounted on the top of the barrel, do not provide adjustment of the camera by rotation. However, it is desirable to realign the line of sight of the camera with the firing line of the rifle upon mounting of a video camera.
Thus, there is also a need in the art for an improved video camera mount for firearms. The present invention provides an advance in the art by providing an image capture device mounting assembly for firearms having greater stability than known mounts and providing the user with a simple means for adjusting the mount.
While the known mounts present a number of alternatives for video-recording of a target or potential “kill”, these alternatives are generally complex and less user-friendly than that found in the present invention. The manner by which the invention hereof offers an effective solution to providing the user, i.e., a hunter, with the opportunity to target a potential “kill”, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.